


How can I Help?

by CarcinoArison



Series: Surviving Vigilantism With ADHD [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: ADHD Dick Grayson, Gen, Sensory Overload, Talk of mental illness, difficulties to understand mental illness, not in a bad way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 14:45:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10743837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarcinoArison/pseuds/CarcinoArison
Summary: Damian is having trouble understanding Dick's ADHD.





	How can I Help?

**Author's Note:**

> Wow this thing is big! I haven't written ADHD!Dick in a while and I missed him
> 
> I put a lot of effort into improving my writing with this and even went through and edited it.
> 
> This story is exactly what the summary says. It's also me trying to interpret how a ten year old vigilante would deal with his older brother having ADHD. 
> 
> While you can easily read this story independently in the series it does make vague references to events in the 5 Times story in this series.
> 
> Also I figured out how to use italics!

Damian was honestly… still learning how to help a person with ADHD. He has a hard time remembering all the symptoms and how they can effect Richard's everyday life, and worries that he keeps making Grayson's life needlessly more difficult.

While even he admits it's weird for him to worry about other people this much, he's telling himself that this is a special case as Richard is Damian's Batman and his performance relies heavily on his mental wellbeing. Something already hindered by the cape.

Like tonight for example. Earlier today the bats had received intel that both the red hood and the joker had been seen skulking around their darker parts of Gotham and Damian had heard Gordon and Drake discussing how this would be hectic on Richard's emotions.

He tries to remember how exactly ADHD effects one's emotions but finds himself drawing a blank. He thought it was more brain and sensory oriented thing, when did emotions come into the mix?

While the others were still talking game plans Damian casually sneaks over to Alfred's side. 

"Pennyworth, why exactly will this be bad for Grayson's emotions?" He asks trying to sound calm about it.

"Sometimes people with ADHD can struggle to manage certain emotions, particularly stress, anger, etc, both Master Jason and the Joker invoke very negative emotions in Master Dick in different ways, making it harder for him to cope," He says without so much as blinking.

It's useful that Damian can trust Alfred not judge when he has questions. Not mention he's practically a walking encyclopaedia of information about his siblings.

Damian wonders how much Alfred knows about him, and how much of that he would disclose to the others if approached. It's a concerning thought but he doubts any of them would be asking about him much.

Now at least he understands why everyone's so worried about Richard. However Damian's not sure how he can really help with this. He's terrible at dealing with his own emotions let alone trying to help Richard with his.

He's heading back over to the others to get ready for patrol when Richard heralds him.

"Hey Damian, I want you to go with Stephanie and Cass tonight to deal with Red Hood, he's less likely to have an extreme reaction with you three. Barbara will be helping you on comes. Is that good with you?"

Well. This is a change in his plans.

"I suppose so. Where will you be?"

"Tim and I will be going after the Joker."

He nods his consent.

It's probably for the best after all he heard that when Drake found out he spent the next day finding out everything he needed to know about ADHD. Typically overachieving of him, but means he will probably know better how to support Richard.

He's still not particularly happy with having to deal with Todd. While he is certainly a formidable foe in a fight Damian does not believe he is a large threat to Gotham or its citizens and he could probably spend his time on more productive things.

Like the Joker for example _he's_ a major threat, so Damian doesn't understand why Richard's sending a smaller group to handle the Joker and a larger one for Todd.

…Maybe this could work to his advantage. 

"Grayson?" He calls.

"Yes Damian?"

"Don't you think it would be wiser distribute more of us on the Joker then the Red Hood?" He tries to sound innocent about it.

"What exactly are you proposing Damian?" 

"I think it would be better if I went with you and Drake. The girls are more then capable enough to deal with the likes of Todd, especially considering he is in fact almost fond of them."

Richard pauses to think about it and Damian can almost see him weighing the pros and cons. Hopefully the verdict turns out in his favour.

"You have a fair point Damian, you can come with me and Tim-" he perks up happily "-if you are willing to listen to Time when he tells you to do something." And there's the catch he thinks as he slumps down again.

"Fine." The Richard thing to do would be use it as an opportunity to get some advice in understanding said Batman.

"Good," Richard says with a small smile, "you know, you're really starting to mature Damian."

He isn't sure how to respond to that so he opts for ducking his head in order to try and hide the blush he swears he can feel. He cannot fathom why Richard must say these sorts of things to him in front of the others. It's embarrassing. 

Richard continues as if he did not just humiliate him,"okay everyone knows what they're doing? Let's move out team."

This was it. The moment of truth. Well… in actuality Richard will probably be able to handle himself and his own disorder just fine but it doesn't hurt for Damian to be prepared.

He _definitely_ isn't worked up because he felt he had something to prove. That would be so Drake or Todd.  
_________________________________________________

The mission did not go well and Damian has a sinking feeling most of it is his fault.

For some particular reason the universe felt like being a particular bitch and the Joker felt the need to go with a decidedly _loud_ theme tonight.

The problem here being that Richard's main hypersensitivity is sound and with the addition of Todd showing up with his guns chased by the girls, he did not cope well.

He went into a sensory overload and while he managed to stay together until after Joker had been captured, Robin and Red Robin had not known how to help him with this. Damian was shocked to find out that Drake didn't know what to do while Tim reasoned that he only knew what a sensory overload was, not what to do about it.

Fortunately a blessed hero came to save them all. Unfortunately it was Todd. He'd found them in their little hiding place and informed them he meant no harm, he knew how to help Dick.

It turned out he was telling the truth. Todd said that the city was still too loud at the moment and they needed to get Dick somewhere quieter and more calm.

With Todd's help Robin and Red Robin managed to get Richard home safe. Todd instructed them to let Dick rest under his weighted blanket and to keep the penthouse in a quiet, dim atmosphere. After that he was gone with the wind, giving no clue as to why he had helped them.

When Richard started to become responsive again, Drake decided that Damian could probably handle things now and took his leave. He didn't seem to notice how shaken up Damian was from the nights events.

All of that brings us to where we are now. Damian is sitting in the armchair next to Richard's couch as the man slowly comes back to himself again. The penthouse is as silent as the dead, Alfred long gone to bed, and the lights are dim.

Damian can't stop thinking about how wrong everything went. He and Drake had one job, watch Batman's back, and they really, _really_ messed up. 

He hears the sound of Richard sitting up with a groan and turns to face him expectantly.

"You okay Dami?" He asks.

Damian looks at him incredulously."What?" Why is he asking if Damian's okay!? He's the one who had a sensory overload!

"It's not rocket science Damian, are you injured or otherwise harmed in any way?" Todd had warned him that Richard may be grumpy when he wakes up.

"Oh. Sorry. Yes I am perfectly fine physically speaking," He responds quietly.

"And mentally speaking?"

He tries to give Richard a look of confusion.

"Don't look at me like that Dami we've been partners long enough for me to know when something's shaken you up."

Damian stays quiet. He's never been good at lying to Richard and he just doesn't know how to talk to him about this. 

Before he can respond Richard gets up to grab Damian before dragging him back down to the couch to hold him. Under normal circumstances Damian would protest however tonight he just doesn't have the energy.

"If you don't want to talk that's fine but you know I can't help if I don't know what's wrong," Richard's voice is softer now and it makes Damian feel warm.

He read somewhere once that being tired makes people more honest and well… it was a plausible excuse as to why he chooses to spill his guts to Richard.

"I just… it's Robin's job to have Batman's back and that means being able to handle situations like the one tonight. However it seems no matter how hard try to learn about your symptoms I just can't seem to understand any of it." He sniffs. 

"We had no choice but accept Todd's help tonight which left us all glaringly open to attack. Not to mention my failure to be able to help was weak and pathetic." He feels his face heating up and prays he does not cry.

Richard pulls him in tight, "oh Dami. Understanding ADHD is a huge task that even I struggle with sometimes. It's an incredibly complex disorder which can be unique to each individual, it takes time more then anything to be able to understand. You were anything but pathetic tonight, you stuck by me when I needed you, and took the risk of trusting Jason and I know you would have protected me if need be. You did your best and that's all I ask."

Damian thinks he feels a tear escape but refuses to acknowledge it. Richard's words feel nice and in retrospect make a lot of sense.

"This whole mess was silly," He states bluntly.

Richard laughs, "it probably was." He shifts Damian in his lap and starts to stroke his hair. "How about next time you're confused you just ask me directly. Skip all the hard bits."

Damian can feel himself starting to drift off. "That's sounds better," he murmurs as he loses consciousness.

**Author's Note:**

> As usual guys I would love to hear your feedback on this and I would also like to thank all the people who commented on previous stories in this series for all the sweet and heart warming things they said.
> 
> That said if any of you have any ADHD prompts you want to submit, I beg you PLEASE!


End file.
